An 18-Plus Pool Party Sets Up Shop Right Off The Strip

The sun sets over the Hooters Casino Hotel in the middle of the afternoon, creating shaded shelter during the hottest part of the day. Bikini-clad DJ Dancing Sara, true to her stage name, moves to the beat of her curated tunes in front of a giant pink flamingo mural. The newly renovated courtyard has rows of lounge chairs, two pools and two bars, but that’s just the start.

The property’s pool area has been rebranded as The Porch n’ Backyard.The new space will host its weekly Summer Camp party, which officially kicks off May 26, Friday–Sunday from 1–6 p.m. throughout the summer. According to Matt Cox, the property’s head of entertainment and nightlife, it’s “the only 18-plus pool party on the Las Vegas strip—the first of its kind.”

Patrons of the new venue enter through The Porch, an indoor bar with colorful hightop tables and sixteen handles of draught beer. Ballast Point’s Sculpin and Stone’s IPA are there to please hop enthusiasts, while lighter offerings like Miller Lite and Blue Moon are available for the faint of tastebuds. Beer can be bought by the pitcher to play beer pong or to accompany a game of billiards, skee ball or air hockey inside the spacious lounge, which opens up to The Backyard through a set of garage doors.

The outdoor part of the venue has a Gold Spike-meets-dayclub vibe. Table games like Giant Jenga and Cards Against Humanity sit between a pair of fire pits. Chesty servers bring drinks to people playing Giant Beer Pong, cornhole, and Oversized Connect Four by the pool (A new featured game is scheduled to roll out once a month). Club favorites boom through the sound system by the stage, where DJs and live acts alike are planned to perform throughout the long Vegas pool season.

Opposite of the DJ booth, cabanas and VIP tables line the west wall of the courtyard, where affordable bottle, keg, and hookah services are set to be offered. That’s right—you and your friends can split a keg of beer or share a bowl of flavored tobacco poolside. Planned amenities include a hot dog cart, a large screen for interactive DJ sets and movie nights, and a juice and soda bar for the underage partygoers.

The Porch & Backyard’s May 26 grand opening will be hosted by Jonathan Bennett (who played dreamboat Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls and Van Wilder in Van Wilder: Freshman Year). And because of the new space’s proximity to the UNLV campus and its 18-plus age limit (a rarity for parties of any kind in the Valley), the new pool party is sure to be a student hot spot.

Gorillaz are coming to Las Vegas for the first time ever. 2016’s Grammy winner for best new artist, Chance the Rapper, will return. English rockers Muse will bring their dizzying live show to the streets of Downtown. And that’s just the top of an eclectic bill that features more than 70 acts, along with comedy, interactive art installations, a group art exhibit featuring the work of Mark Ryden, Tara McPherson and Shepard Fairey and much more. Last year saw more than 137,000 attendees trod the festival footprint. Who’s ready for more?